Yes, in a perfect world it would be nice if she could throw one kick or one punch and then get away. But it is also very important for her to learn what to do if that fails and someone grabs her and takes her to the ground. This is a VERY real possibility and to not train for that possibility is to ask for trouble. Something like pepper spray is nice, but it only works if you have it in your hand or can get to it very quickly.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Short_Stack:AIKIDO was intened for women (so i heard) aikido/kickboxing would be best[/QUOTE]

I think you may be misktaking aikido for wing chun? Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba, who fought in the Russian/Japanese war in the beginning of the 20th Century. He trained extensively in Jujitsu and also practised judo before developing his own style which he called aikido.

Alot of people seem to criticise aikido because it looks "flowery". This may be correct in some cases although this does not mean it is ineffective as a form of self defence. The founder of Yoshinkan aikido said, "If aikido doesn't look a little fake, it is not real aikido". I don't really agree with this statement though.

The Japanese riot police and many of the Japanese police force undergo a vigorous and gruelling 1 years training in yoshinkan aikido, before they can join the riot force. I don't think they would teach a "flowery" and ineffective art to officers who must deal with riots and various other violent crimes.

Any martial art will only be useful depending on the individual. I practice aikido because it suits me.

Allow me to add a little bit about Aikido, Morihei Ushiba's aikido concept changed from hard to soft when he grew older. Many believed the changes were influenced by Baqua Zhang when he visited China and remained there for some time. The influence of Baqua concept in Aikido is very much evident in footworks and internal theories. Though many Aikido people will disagree. My point is this, in order for a weaker person to successfully overcome a stronger person, he/she must find ways to overcome 3 factors which are strength, speed and power. He/she must find ways to overpower the stronger opponent's strength. He/she must find ways to be faster than his more physical superior opponent and though physically weaker, he/she must be able to deliver a powerful blow to finish-off the opponent. If he/her stronger opponent does not charge blindfully, Aikido is of little use. Wing Chun may not be able to strike down a much stronger opponent (assuming a lady striking a huge man), Brazilian jujitsu against a much stronger and bigger opponent is suicical. Karate/Tae Kwondo etc are useless too when engage in a face to face combat with a big, fast and strong opponnent.

Having said that, the other option is to hit where it hurts but to do that the weaker opponent need to break-in the opponent's defense...again strength, power and speed come into play so what next? Not been bias, from my 20+ years of experience with many martial arts, the only art that allows the weaker person to overcome all those shortfalls is Tai Chi Chuan...surprised?! But the sad new is Tai Chi Chuan masters who possess real Tai Chi Chuan skills are very very rare. An expert in Tai Chi9 Chuan will not allow more than 4 ounces of force to land on his/her body hence neutralised the strength advantage. Tai Chi exponent who mastered what is called 'hearing energy' could adhere to opponent's movement matching his speed automatically, hence neutralized speed advantage and Tai Chi opponent is trained to utilize opponent's strength and hit vital points...solved the issue of hitting power. A good Tai Chi player also is an expert in strength and power manipulation hence no matter how strong the opponent is, via law of physics, those srteng and power could be neutralized. E.i. if you know the secret (it is actually law of physic) a 12okg male will not be able to lift the stance of a 54kg woman literally.

Hence, if someone insisted for a martial art that give weaker sex a chance against a stronger opponent...it must be Tai Chi (but you need to find a true Tai Chi master). I am talking for direct experience without taking any bias.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Chanters: I think you may be misktaking aikido for wing chun? Aikido was founded by Morihei Ueshiba, who fought in the Russian/Japanese war in the beginning of the 20th Century. He trained extensively in Jujitsu and also practised judo before developing his own style which he called aikido.

Alot of people seem to criticise aikido because it looks "flowery". This may be correct in some cases although this does not mean it is ineffective as a form of self defence. The founder of Yoshinkan aikido said, "If aikido doesn't look a little fake, it is not real aikido". I don't really agree with this statement though.

The Japanese riot police and many of the Japanese police force undergo a vigorous and cruelling 1 years training in yoshinkan aikido, before they can join the riot force. I don't think they would teach a "flowery" and ineffective art to officers who must deal with riots and various other violent crimes.

Any martial art will only be useful depending on the individual. I practice aikido because it suits me. [/QUOTE]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hiu:Allow me to add a little bit about Aikido, Morihei Ushiba's aikido concept changed from hard to soft when he grew older. Many believed the changes were influenced by Baqua Zhang when he visited China and remained there for some time. The influence of Baqua concept in Aikido is very much evident in footworks and internal theories. Though many Aikido people will disagree. My point is this, in order for a weaker person to successfully overcome a stronger person, he/she must find ways to overcome 3 factors which are strength, speed and power. He/she must find ways to overpower the stronger opponent's strength. He/she must find ways to be faster than his more physical superior opponent and though physically weaker, he/she must be able to deliver a powerful blow to finish-off the opponent. If he/her stronger opponent does not charge blindfully, Aikido is of little use. [/QUOTE]

Taking your opponents balance is one of the most fundamental aspects of aikido. Physical strength plays no part. When you say "you must be able to deliver a powerful blow to finish-off the opponent", whan applying iriminage or kaitenage, you can pretty much smash the attackers face into the tarmac, therefore resulting in a "powerful blow to finish-off the opponent".

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SuzyQ:Hi, I'm looking for some advice on what martial art to study. I am a small female - 5ft tall, about 115 lbs, so the chances that I will be bigger or stronger than anyone who might jump me are nil. I am wondering what kinds of martial arts would best offset this disadvantage, and be practical and applicable in the context of getting jumped on the street. Also, I know that martial arts take time and dedication to learn, but in the spirit of practicality, I'm looking or something that won't require years of training before I can defend myself successfully. Any suggestions? Thx![/QUOTE]

Wing Chun was specifically designed to defend against stronger larger opponents.Also it was developed by a woman. I would look up EBMAS in your area and see what they have to offer.

Wing Chun probably came from the Shaolin Temple in China since it was practiced by the monks well before the temples was destroyed. So the story of, Ng Mui, teaching Yip Wing Chun in 3 months who then defeated some soldier who was courting her is extremely unlikely. Neither of these people in the legend could have developed the Wing Chun system, it is clear that no one person could have developed this alone.